The Angel's Keyblade
by EmbarrGuardian32
Summary: When Sora, Kairi, and Riku disappear from the islands without a trace, Darkness invades the worlds once more. In reaction, a power is awakened and seeks out a strong heart and finds its way to a young teenage girl named Hikari Kurai, whose family was kidnapped by the Heartless. Now gifted with The Angel's Keyblade, Hikari must search for the Keybladers and her family.
1. Chapter 1

I began to open my eyes, but quickly closed them when I was blinded by a white light. A terrible headache settled in and I swore I saw stars dancing in the back of my eyes. Once I was sure the headache dimmed and the light show stopped, I braved opening my eyes again, this time shielding them with my hand. After I adjusted, I realized that no light had rendered me sightless, but I was in a pure white room, though it was more of an open space, for it was vacant of any walls, furniture, windows, or door.

It was then that I remembered the storm that had destroyed my home and swept away my parents and siblings. The last thing I recalled was being stuck underneath a piece of the collapsed roof, and the strange twister was just upon me when a golden light stripped me of my vision before all went black.

"Did I die?" I asked myself, getting to my feet.

"Thankfully, no," a voice replied.

I spun a sharp 180 degrees around to find a tall man standing five paces away from me. He appeared to be middle-aged, with long faded-blond hair and a mustache and beard in the same shade on his sharp face. He wore a lab-coat that went down to his knees, from where his body became fuzzy and seemed as though he was standing in a low fog. Underneath his coat was a white business shirt and purple tie, a maroon scarf draped over his shoulder and around his neck loosely.

Immediately I went on edge, muscles tightening as I clenched my hands into fists. "W-Who are you?" I asked with a demanding tone.

The man smiled. "My name is Ansem the Wise, and you have nothing to fear from me, Hikari Kurai."

I gasped and took a step back. "H-How do you know my name? What do you want from me?" I looked at my surroundings and added, "And where am I?"

"I can only tell you are in between the dimensions and that you are very special, which is why I need your help," Ansem replied.

"Why do you need _my_ help?" I retorted. "There's _nothing_ special about me."

"On the contrary. You are more special than you could possibly _imagine_." Ansem began to walk towards me.

But I held up my hand. "Don't come any closer."

Ansem halted. "I know you're scared and confused, but I need you to trust me and let me explain if answers is what you seek." His voice was soft and reassuring.

As much as I hated to admit it, the mysterious man was right. If I was going to find out where I was and how I was going to get back home, I had no choice but to listen. Coming to this conclusion, I nodded my head in acceptance.

"Very well. Let me start by explaining to you why you are so special; you see, in your possession is a power that- if used correctly- can save many lives as well as many worlds. However, if if were were used _incorrectly_, everything would fall into darkness. Because of this, there are forces that will do _anything_ to get their hands on that power. You have the power of both Light _and_ Darkness, and because of that, you and your family were attacked."

"Attacked?" I repeated. "You mean that storm wasn't…"

"No. What destroyed your home and took your loved ones is what is referred to as a Heartless. Since you were unaware of your gift at the time, you saw the Heartless as an unnatural storm. When the Heartless was to devour you just like your family, however, your power reacted and protected you. I then took it upon myself to teleport you here after you passed out." After a moments thought, Ansem continued. "Something has happened and only _you_ can help. Three very gifted individuals like yourself have disappeared without a trace. I fear that they have been captured and without their light, the darkness is free to spread havoc throughout _all_ worlds."

"Hold on a sec'; you mean to tell me there are _other_ worlds beside my own?" I was having a hard time believing all this. You would too if you were in my shoes.

"Correct. No one truly knows how many there are in existence, but they are all connected in _some_ way. With your gift, you can travel to these worlds."

"How?"

"Hold out your hand and concentrate on the energy inside you. Imagine the light and darkness coming together and creating something in your hand."

I reluctantly did just that, focusing on the power inside me and feeling it course through my body and into my outstretched right hand. A combination of sweat dripping down my face and goosebumps crawling up my spine raked my entire body, but I refused to give up.

Suddenly, I heard a "shing" sound and felt something in my hand. My eyes flew open, but what I saw before me was something I never would have imagined.

It was a blade of sorts, but a lot more bulky. Two angel wings- one white and the black- made a sort of oval around the hilt of the blade. The body of the weapon was a shining white that seemed as though someone had thrown a bucket of glitter on it. But what really intrigued me was the actual _tip_ of it; it didn't end straight like a normal blade, but instead had a bow, corresponding black and white angel wings smaller than the hilt border stuck out, making the entire thing look like an oversized key.

I dared touch the wings of the bow; the feathers that covered them were smooth to the touch, but the wings themselves felt sturdy and rock hard, stronger that any wing I had felt on any bird.

"That is what is known as a Keyblade," Ansem suddenly spoke. "Only one other person has managed to create a weapon that was both of Light and Darkness, but he was, how should I say, a _special_ case. That does not matter now, though; with that Keyblade, you can travel to the other worlds."

I looked up at him to ask, but my face said it all.

"Hold it to your chest and close your eyes. Ask your Keyblade to grant you the power of flight and it will do so," Ansem explained.

Now that I look back on this, I'm not quite sure _why_ I did as he asked. Maybe I was desperate to find my way home, or, if I did as I was told, I would wake up from this dream and find myself safe in my own bed. Either way, I did as Ansem instructed, asking my strange weapon to give me what I wished for.

I was surprised when I felt the Keyblade vanish from my hold, but I thought my heart stopped when a sudden "whoosh" sound came from behind me. I turned my head to my left shoulder and dared open my eyes.

Nothing could prepare me for what I saw; A large, snow-white wing that was curved slightly inward was attached to my back. I looked to my right and found a similar wing, except that one was pitch-black. I imagined bringing them to their fullness, and I gasped when they did just that and spread out at what I estimated was thirteen feet from wing tip to wing tip.

I then realized I was wearing a new wardrobe. No longer was I in my torn up jeans and blue tank-top. Instead, I wore a gorgeous, navy-blue gown that went to my feet. The straps were split and were wrapped securely just below my shoulders. My tennis shoes had also been replaced by simple silver flats.

"That outfit is more than just a fashion sense," Ansem said with a smile. "It will protect you when you are traveling between worlds."

I had barely heard him; I was too busy admiring the wings and the wonderful dress. The wings felt so light, it was as though they weren't even there, yet I could control their movement with only the slightest of thought. The dress was very soft and I could easily move around it with no resistance.

I turned back to Ansem, my eyes wide with wonder and delight. "Thank you."

Ansem shook his head. "It was not I that gave you these gifts; it is all you. However, before you go, there is something I wish to give to you." He dug into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out something. He walked over to me and in one quick motion, hooked that object around my neck.

When he stepped back, I looked down and realized what he placed around my neck was a necklace. It was a glistening piece of jewelry, with two angel wings just like mine put together to form a heart. White diamonds were on the black wing while black diamonds covered the white wing. It hung on a plain silver chain.

"It's beautiful," I simply said.

Ansem nodded. "That necklace has very special magical attributes. When you are in a world, the black and white will shift according to the balance of Darkness and Light in that particular world. Now listen; the three individuals you are looking for go by the names Sora, Riku, and Kairi. In order to find them, you may have to travel to several worlds, eliminating the Heartless that are creating destruction along the way. I suggest you start by heading to my home, Radiant Garden. Search for a man by the name of Leon and ask if he knows the whereabouts of Sora, Riku, and Kairi. Your wings will take you there, but be warned; you will need to have them disappear if you wish to the Keyblade at full strength. Though you _can_ have your wings and the Keyblade at the same time, the power of your Keyblade will be cut in half."

I nodded at every explanation and warning, but one thing stuck in my mind. "What about my family, though? Where are _they_?"

Ansem looked down with sadness in his old eyes. "If they have been captured by the Heartless, then I'm afraid they could be _anywhere_. It may be possible that they are at other worlds. That is all I can say." He suddenly looked up as if he could sense something. "There's no time left. You must go."

"Alright. Thank you, Ansem the Wise."

"You're very welcome, and thank you."

I smiled and took to the sky. As I rose higher and higher, I saw a portal of white and black open before me. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, I shot into the hole. And so, my journey began.


	2. Chapter 2

It was as though I was flying in space. So many shades of blue, white, silver, and black surrounded me in streams of light and stars that littered the sky. The only sound that could be heard was the flap of my wings every so often when I lost altitude and tried to avoid space-like debris. In the distance, I could see what appeared as other worlds, but a range of buildings and forests were on top of them.

_These must be the worlds Ansem the Wise was referring to,_ I thought to myself. There were so many, I had lost count at twelve, but that was mostly because I had other things on my mind; more specifically, my family.

If they_ were_ captured by the Heartless, there was no _telling_ what would happen to them. My sister was only nine and could be very easily scared. My youngest little brother, much like my sister, was not the bravest of thirteen-year-olds. My other younger brother, only a year behind me in age, could be tough as nails, but it had occurred more than once that when he didn't feel in control of what was happening around him, he had a hard time controlling his anger and things got ugly. I'm talking about a 5' 10" sixteen year old boy who's the head linebacker on his football team; now that I thought about it, I seemed to feel this sort of aura building up in him, even when I wasn't aware of my powers at the time. My parents were another thing, though. My dad was a Marine, just like _his _dad, so if anything went wrong, I knew he would protect the others, and my mom was a nurse so if any of them got hurt she would know what to do. However, there was the possibility that they had been separated. If that was the case, I probably had to travel to several worlds before I would find them all. But then what? They didn't have a Keyblade like me and more than likely couldn't travel with me to other worlds.

I lost my breath for a moment when my wings made a sudden incline just before a large meteorite was to crush me. I shook my head to clear it once I was out of danger. It was strange, my wings somehow knowing when I was in danger and pulled me out of it. But you didn't see me complaining.

The thoughts of my family were pushed aside when I came upon a world with a beautiful castle and garden surrounding it. _That must be Radiant Garden, and where I'll find Leon._ My speed increased as I headed towards my destination.

XXXXX

I had no time to react as I came in too fast and made a very ungraceful landing, tripping over my own feet and rolling a few yards, nearly head butting into a wall. I got up and dusted myself off, then turned to look at my wings; they were a little dirty but otherwise unharmed. I sighed in relief and forced them away. As if by reaction, my dress disappeared and I was once again in my old clothes. I simply accepted that and looked at my surroundings.

I immediately understood why that place was called Radiant Garden; I was standing in a courtyard that was bordered by beautiful garden patches. Daisies, tulips, lilies, and several other flowers I recognized were scattered and in every color of the rainbow. There were also several trees and the greenest grass I had ever seen. The sky was clear and shining with birds chirping happily.

It seemed so much like paradise that maybe I _was_ dead.

But the shadows crawling towards me changed that.

I took a defensive stance and my Keyblade suddenly appeared in my right hand, confirming my thoughts. _So these are the Heartless. Not the_ most charming _looking individuals._

They kinda reminded me of ants, but only had two legs that they barely stood on and tiny arms with glinting claws. Two antennas were atop their circular heads and their perfectly round, yellow eyes studied me.

I looked down at my necklace and saw that the white wing had slightly become black. _These Heartless must be the cause,_ I thought to myself, but couldn't help but tremble. I'd never _once_ been in a fight. I'd also never held a sword made of _foam_ before, let alone a _real_ one, and I certainly didn't know how to _use_ one. Then again, the Keyblade was different; it wasn't sharp going along one edge or heavy and bulky. With this in mind, I put my other hand on the hilt, raised it straight above my head, and slashed down like a samurai.

Black and white feathers exploded and created a small tornado. The Heartless were just as intrigued as I was, watching the feathers perform a sort of intricate dance, reminding me that my Keyblade contained both the power of Light _and_ Darkness. I was surprised, however, when one Heartless got too close to the tornado and was thrown back several feet.

The other Heartless took this as a threat and attacked.

I closed my eyes tight and brought the Keyblade down once more, feeling it collide with one of the creatures. My eyes flew open in surprise just as the Heartless that had been hit disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

_No blood. Weird,_ I thought. With more confidence, I went on the offensive, hacking at my opponents over the head and to the side. I quickly realized that my attacks were more effective when I got behind them and hit their backs. They weren't very fast. but more than once they would fuse with the ground and become _actual_ shadows, making it impossible for me to touch them.

Still, I thought I was making progress. That is, until reinforcements arrived and I began to tire. My swings got slower and sloppy, my legs and arms became heavy, and sweat drenched my body. I kept fighting, though, waiting for the chance to escape.

Before I could react, a Heartless detached itself from the ground behind me and raked its claw along my right leg. I cried out in pain and drove my Keyblade into the stone of the courtyard as I fell to one knee. Shivers ran up my spine as I felt a warm liquid trickle down my leg and drip to the ground.

The sight of me down and on my last legs must have driven the Heartless beyond insanity, for they all leaped on top of me.

I tried to keep upright and throw them off my back, but the weight soon became too much and I completely crumbled to the ground. The Heartless blocked out the light of the sun, cutting off my vision. I felt my Keyblade break from my grip and disappear in a spark of light. The weight of the shadowy creatures was driving the breath out of my lungs and my body was starting to become numb.

"Help," I cried out, but it seemed no more than a squeak.

Not a few moments later I began to hear voices. At first I thought I was imagining things, but if it meant being saved, I wasn't going to jinx it.

The voices seemed distant and I could only make out a few worlds.

"Le-… Heartless…someone… trouble."

"Get… here.. beat it."

Just before I lost consciousness, the weight on my back completely disappeared, the sudden light hurting my eyes. I could no longer hear but saw someone kneel in front of me. I lifted my head as far as I could, but could only make out the blurry face of what I'd guessed was a female. I saw her mouth move and another figure was quickly at her side, but I no longer could hold my head up and lowered it as my eyes closed and darkness took its hold.

_"She was crazy to have taken on those Heartless."_

_"Maybe she didn't have the chance to escape."_

_"I'm not so sure; there were signs of a struggle and the courtyard looks like a mess."_

_"She must have put up quite a fight."_

_"But things don't add up; Why did those Heartless only go after_ her_? Who is she? Where did she come from? And how was she able to fend off those Heartless for _that_ long?"_

_"I guess we'll find out when she wakes up."_

_"_If_she wakes up."_

_"What's that suppose to mean?"_

_"He_ does _have a point. She took a good beating and her leg is in bad shape. The additional shock may keep her unconscious for quite some time."_

_"Then I guess all we can do is wait."_

XXXXX

As I started to come to, a small moan escaped my throat.

"Oh, are you awake?"

I slowly opened my eyes to a world of blurry colors and shapes. After a few moments, my vision realigned and I realized I was in a small bedroom, laying on a simple twin-sized bed. I looked to my right and saw a girl not much older than me. She had long, wavy brown hair with a red bandana tied in the back and wore a red and white blouse and a long pink skirt. She had soft eyes and a warm smile.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

"A little sore but otherwise alright." I sat up and further studied my surrounding before turning back and adding, "Where am I?"

"You're at me and my friends' home, so you're safe from those creatures," she replied. "I'm Aerith, by the way."

I nodded my head. "I'm Hikari Kurai."

Aerith smiled. "That's a very unique name. Where are you from?"

I looked down at the question. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Wanna bet?"

Aerith and I both turned towards the new voice and saw a boy that was most likely the same age as Aerith.

He had brown hair and a sharp face with a scar running across it. He wore a short-sleeved black jacket that's collar was rimmed with fake white fur and the symbol of a lion in blood red on his left shoulder over a faded white shirt, black pants that were adorned with buckles and criss-crossing red and black belts, and black gloves.

"I thought you were on patrol, Leon," Aerith said with a teasing smile.

At the sound of that name, a flicker of hope lit in my heart. "You're Leon?"

The boy looked straight at me with a neutral look on his face. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

His attitude was something I could have dealt _without_ I did my best to contain my irritation. "I was sent here to find you," I simply stated.

"By who?" Leon questioned.

"A man by the name Ansem the Wise," I answered.

Leon's eyes grew slightly wide with shock and I heard Aerith gasp.

"Is something wrong?" Their silence was making me nervous.

After what seemed seasons later, Leon spoke up. "You _couldn't_ have met Ansem the Wise."

I clenched my hands into fists. "And why _not_?" I retorted.

"Because." I turned to Aerith and saw she was looking down with a sad face. "Ansem the Wise… died nearly a _year_ ago."


	3. Chapter 3

"Is this the guy you saw?" Cid asked me.

I looked at the main computer screen and studied the picture. Leon wasn't convinced that I had met Ansem the Wise and that he had sent me here to Radiant Garden, so, with Aerith supporting my left side, we walked into the main room of the building. There I met Yuffie -who, along with Leon, rescued me from the Heartless- Cid, and Merlin.

Yuffie kinda reminded as a sort of ninja girl with long black hair and wearing the tight black outfit and ninja stars that stuck out of one of her many pockets. Cid seemed like the mentor to the others. He was probably old enough to be my grandfather, but don't tell him that. Merlin seemed a little more animated than the others, with a large blue robe and matching wizard cap, accompanied by an extremely long white beard.

While Yuffie and Merlin tried to pry some answers from me (Where I came from? How I got here? etc.) Leon took Cid aside and explained the situation to him, asking him to pull up an image of Ansem. With the swift movement of his fingers, Cid swept through file after file on his _many_ computer screens until he found what he was looking for and called me over.

It was only a head-shot, but that was all that I needed. The sharp face, blond hair, and slightest view of a maroon scarf confirmed that that man was the same person I'd met before.

"Yes," I said, then turned to Leon and added, "That's him."

"I don't believe you," Leon stated with an unconvinced voice.

"Leon," Aerith exclaimed, obviously surprised by her friend's reaction.

"She may be working for the Heartless," Leon argued.

"Then why could they attack her?" Yuffie pointed out.

"It's true. They did some pretty good damage on her leg," Merlin added. "My magic couldn't destroy the darkness within her wound."

"That doesn't proved _anything_," Leon objected.

As they continued to bicker, I couldn't help but feel insulted. They were arguing about me as though I wasn't even in the _room_. I looked at Cid and saw that his hand was on his head and was shaking it back and forth, probably thinking the same thing I was.

I balled my hands into fists, no longer able to stand it. "Enough!" I yelled and everyone went silent. More calmly, I continued. "Leon has every right not to believe me. If someone told _me_ some dead guy had sent them to find me, I'd be suspicious too." Leon opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "But answer me this,Leon; If I was working alongside the Heartless, would some evil essence help me create _this_?" I held out my right hand and my Keyblade appeared in a small explosion of white and black feathers.

Everyone's eyes went wide and Cid nearly fell out of his chair next to me.

"That changes things," Leon muttered.

I smiled triumphantly, but a sudden wave of dizziness came over me as my eyes closed and I felt myself sway back and forth. Strong hands were quickly placed on my shoulders and guided me a little ways to the right. The arms softly pushed me down until I was sitting in a chair and a distant voice that I later made out as Cid's told me to take deep, calm breaths.

The entire time it felt as though I was getting frostbite on my injured calf, but I tried my best not to cry out in pain and instead focus on taking deep breaths as Cid instructed. Eventually, my head stopped spinning and my stomach settled. The pain in my leg was still there, but was not as bad as earlier. I opened my eyes and saw Cid kneeling in front of me with concerned eyes.

"You alright now?" He asked me.

I nodded slowly, not eager to having my brain do flips and tricks again.

Everyone in the room sighed in relief.

"You gave us quite the scare there," Cid stated. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, then looked down at my hand; my Keyblade was still there, but the white feathers seemed somewhat dull and gray. "I need to work on that."

"Work on what?" Yuffie questioned.

I lifted my Keyblade and place it on my lap for everyone to see. "Ansem the Wise explained to me that I have a certain _gift. Supposedly_ in my possession is both the power of Light _and_ /Darkness. I don't know _how_ I got it, I just do." I then went on explaining what had happened to me; how I met Ansem, the situation with growing darkness, and the disappearance of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, as well as my family. When I asked Leon the question that had brought me there, however, I was in for some bad news.

"I haven't heard from those three since Sora and Riku took their Mark of Mastery exam," he told me.

"So Ansem thinks they might have been kidnapped?" Cid inquired.

I nodded. "If that's true, there's also the chance that my family is with them."

"But those three together are quite a match not to reckoned with," Leon pointed out.

"Yes. It's more than likely that they were split up so their lights won't combine," Merlin added.

"That doesn't matter thought," I stated. "I have to find them or _everything_ will be blanketed in darkness. I won't let that happen."

"And we all agree too," Aerith replied. "We _just_ got our home back and we're not letting the Darkness take it again; but you have to realize that you don't know where to start looking and you're in _no_ condition to travel."

"And you won't be saving _anyone_ until you learn how to use that Keyblade of yours," Leon said with a smirk.

I groaned, less because of what Leon said and more of me getting cocky back at the courtyard. Because of that, I wasn't going anywhere until my leg healed. Then a thought came to me, and I turned to Merlin. "Merlin; Is it possible for spells you've casted to be manipulated by a different source of magic?"

"I suppose," the wizard answered.

"Would you let me combine your healing magic with my Keyblade's magic so as to heal my leg?" I continued.

Merlin thought for a while, staring at the ceiling and stroking his long white beard. After several moments, he looked back at me and nodded. "But will you manage using magic in your current state?" He asked.

"I'm willing to do anything if it means stopping the pain. It feels as though salt's being rubbed into it," I replied.

"Very well." Merlin walked over to me and Cid slowly began removing the bandage around my leg.

When my wound was fully exposed, I felt sick to my stomach; four _very_ visible purple claw marks ran along the back of my right calf. My normally pale tan skin was light-gray around the injury and my blood veins were visible but instead shaded a sickening black.

The sudden exposure to the open air stung, but I held off the urge to cry. A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed it hard, then looked back at Merlin and nodded nervously.

Cid backed away and the room became silent as Merlin started to move his hands in a dancing motion over my Keyblade. A bluish energy soon came from his palms, causing the Keyblade to pulse with the same light and the white feathers returned to their proper color.

I felt the energy growing within the weapon and the light of Merlin's magic soothed me. It was so calming that I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open.

When Merlin was done casting his spell and pulled his hands away, the Keyblade did something _none_ of us could have fathomed; It _rose_ into the air, surrounded by the blue light of Merlin's magic. We were all too stunned and had no time to react when it pointed itself towards my chest and shot forward. But just as it seemed it would pierce my heart, it exploded in a twister of black and white feathers that danced around me. No one dared move as the feathers went down to my leg and placed themselves on my injury. It felt somewhat ticklish but I merely watched the spectacle, awe-stricken.

Once all the feathers had wrapped a sort of cast around my leg, there was a flash of blue light and the feathers disappeared, taking my wound with them. We were all so surprised that the room remained silent for what felt like seasons... until Yuffie broke it.

"Well, it _worked._"

I snorted at how simple-minded the comment was and before long, we were all laughing.

XXXXX

It was well-late into the afternoon when things finally settled. Aerith prepared dinner and while we ate, Leon and the others told me the story behind Sora, Riku, and Kairi. I won't go deep into the details, but let's just say it wasn't a happy beginning. Like me, their home was destroyed by the Heartless. Sora was swept to a place called Traverse Town, Riku was manipulated by an evil fairy named Maleficent and was taken over by Darkness, and Kairi lost her heart.

When they brought up the story of how Sora and Riku had to fight, I was immediately reminded of my fight with my eldest brother, Genji. I honestly don't remember what we were fighting about, but the last thing he said to me was as clear as day and remains even _now_ a large hole in my heart; "I wish you were never my sister!"

I had felt somewhat at fault- though I can't recall why- and wanted to apologize, but the Heartless attacked before I got the chance. The thought then occurred to me how much Riku and my brother had in common. Both had a hard time controlling their temper, fought for some ridiculous reason with a loved one, and were dangerously exposed to the Darkness. Suddenly, I was more scared than ever that my brother might end up like Riku did, and told the others.

There were mixed theories, but one thing was certain; Defeat the Darkness soon, or I'll never get my brother back.

XXXXX

I couldn't sleep that night. I stared at the ceiling for hours, looking out the window and sometimes catching sight of a star going out in the dark night sky. Merlin had explained to me that each star represented a different world, so it was pretty easy to figure out that once a star vanished, that world was gone. There were so many I can only imagine which ones my loved ones were on and if they were at risk of disappearing as well.

_But what if I can't save them all?_ I asked myself._ What if I run out of time? Where could I send them after I rescued them and who would protect them in my absence while I search for the others? When will this nightmare end and why must I be involved?_

The five 'W's' dominated my mind and before I knew it, the sky was starting to become pink, announcing the near arrival of dawn. I silently crawled out of my bed, cleaned myself up a little, and headed for the front door. Just as I turned the knob, however, a voice stopped me.

"You're up early."

I quickly turned around to find Cid at his computers. His eyes were droopy and black circles were under them.

"Couldn't sleep either?" I asked him.

Cid nodded his head. "Too busy setting up the new security system for the town. Those kids are tough but they have to rest _some_ time."

"It's as if they're_ yours,"_ I teased.

That made Cid laugh a little. "Then I must have been crazy after the first one. But no, I've just been taking care of them since they were little. They don't have parents so I'm the closet thing to a father they got."

I smiled. "You raised them well."

Cid sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I try." Looking back at me he added, "Where were you going, anyway? Isn't Leon going to train you?"

"Not until after dawn. There's something I wanted to check out," I replied. Cid made a nervous face and I quickly added, "Don't worry; if I see any Heartless; I'll bolt out of there. I won't do any fighting until Leon deems me fit. Please?"

Cid pondered for several moments before sighing once more and nodding his head. "Just stay out of trouble."

"I will." I turned back towards the door and left.


	4. Chapter 4

The streets were deserted and the shop windows and house blinds closed. It was earlier than I first thought it was, for the birds were not yet singing and a light mist hung on the ground.

I didn't know _where_ exactly I was going, but I was just following the directions a faint voice in my head told me; go across the courtyard, take a right at the second alley, then a left. I wasn't paying attention as to where I was walking, but before I knew it, I was standing on a cliff, looking over a beautiful landscape.

It was breathtaking to say the least; it appeared to be a long-since-used battlefield, the castle to the right, and flowers bloomed everywhere as far as the eye could see. The flowers were in every color of the rainbow, making me think that if I went to the end of the field, I would find a pot of gold. But the most amazing sight was the sun rising from behind the distant mountains. The warmth of the coming dawn was nothing short of soothing as I stretched my arms out horizontally and soaked in the light, imagining that I was flying.

"Knew it wouldn't last long," a voice said to my right.

I dropped my arms and swung my body around towards the source of the voice and was surprised to see a young man much like Leon. He had spiky blond hair, a sharp face with baby-blue eyes, and wore all black; black trench coat with a lion crest much like Leon's, black pants, black boots, and a giant sword that seemed to be wrapped in bandages latched to his back. His arms were crossed against his chest and he was looking right at me, bringing me back to the statement he had said.

"What?" I asked confusingly.

He looked back to the sunrise and replied, "I said 'Knew it wouldn't last long.' Someone discovering my secret place, more simply."

That made sense and I immediately felt guilty. "I-I'm sorry; I didn't think anyone would be up here." I turned to leave.

"You don't have to go," the boy called back.

I looked over my shoulder. "Really?"

"As long as you don't tell anyone," he replied bluntly.

"Shouldn't be too hard; I hardly know anyone here." I walked back over to the ledge and continued to bask in the sunlight.

"So; you from another world?" The boy asked casually.

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "What gave it away?"

"You _did_ say you hardly know anyone here."

"I guess I did." I walked over to him and held out my right hand. "I'm Hikari, by the way."

The boy looked at my hand for a moment before he unfolded his arm, stood a little straighter, and took it into his gloved one. "Cloud."

Despite being gloved, his hand was as cold as ice and I saw the white wing of my necklace turn more black from just below my eyes. I pulled my hand away, but not too fast as to offend Cloud. "You're lost, aren't you?"

Cloud made a small smile. "Guess you could say that."

Sympathy quickly took over and before I knew it and could stop myself, I began to read his heart and explained out loud what I heard and felt. "Your heart is struggling to balance the very little light and large amount of darkness within you. Because of this, you have pushed others away, afraid that you won't be able to control the darkness."

Cloud laughed slightly and his sky-blue eyes bore into me. "You a mind reader? Or did Leon and the others tell you all that?"

"How did you know I know Leon and the others?" I inquired.

Cloud leaned back against the wall behind him once more and crossed his arms. "I fought off the Heartless that tried to follow you after Leon and Yuffie took you to Merlin's," he simply replied.

"Oh, well, thank-you." I looked down and found myself blushing.

Cloud seemed oblivious to my bashful manner. "So, _did_ they tell you?"

I shook my head. "They never mentioned you; they didn't' have to. I don't know _how_, but just now I was able to read your heart. I was taught that one's memories do not exist in the mind, but the heart." I looked back at him, my blush wiped away. "Don't push them away, Cloud. Whatever you think, never doubt that your friends will be there for you when the going gets tough."

That had Cloud thinking for a moment. "Strange. That's almost _exactly_ what Sora told me."

My heart skipped a beat. "You know Sora?"

Cloud laughed again. "At _this_ point, who _doesn't_?" Turning his head towards the coming dawn he added, "Met him a little more than a year ago. At first I only thought of him as a kid way over his head. But then he taught me something; he taught me that being a loner wasn't the answer to my problems, how that when things got out of hand, I shouldn't be afraid to turn to a friend for help. He showed me the light, in a sense."

I was dumbfounded; Sora sounded more like a wise old man who had seen many things in his time than a seventeen-year-old teenager.

"But then again; I could be digging too deep into this and he never even meant to say that stuff," Cloud remarked.

I felt like a cartoon character right then; one who was thinking they knew what had just been said was too good to be true and a giant animated sweat drop went down the side of their head. I shook my head to clear it, and with a smile on my face, turned back to the sun with my arms behind my back. "Sora seems to have that effect on people. I've never met him but he sounds really special."

"Yeah," Cloud simply said.

Silence followed as we watched dawn finish its arrival and announcing the start of a new day.

XXXX

I had to go after that. I promised Cloud I wouldn't tell anyone of his special spot if he promised to try and open up to his friends.

He wasn't too pleased with that, but had sighed and said, "Guess when I'm told to do the same thing _twice_, I might as well do so. Stay out of trouble."

I had nodded my head in agreement and hurried back to the courtyard, finding Leon waiting for me with a sword thats upper half looked like a pistol.

When I was before him, I hunched over with my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath. "Sorry… Were you… waiting long…?" Leon didn't reply and when I looked up at him, there was a confused look on his face. "What?"

"Where were you just now?" Leon asked.

"I went to watch the sunrise and met up with Cloud," I replied.

Leon's smirk returned. "So he's still around."

"How come every time you open your mouth, only insults and negativity come out?" I retorted, my hands now on my hips.

Leon shrugged. "It's what I do best. Now let's get started; show me you battle stance."

And so, for the rest of the day, Leon taught me the basics of fighting, from pulling off combos, to dodging and blocking enemy fire. Yuffie and the others came to watch from time to time and at noon, Aerith brought us all sandwiches.

My leg still slowed me down a little but I managed quite well; even Leon was impressed.

When the sun was sinking into the horizon and the street lights started to come on, Leon suggested we should stop for the day.

When we turned the corner to Merlin's, I saw someone- or something- hurry into the building. I looked at Leon to make sure I wasn't seeing things; his eyes were wide with surprise and before I could utter a word, he bolted for his home.

My body was heavy with fatigue so it took me a little longer to get to the door. There were no screams which both relieved and concerned me, but when I was finally standing in the doorway, what I saw was almost too hard to believe.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Okay, let me clear something up before you guys continue on. From here on, the narration of the story will switch from Hikari's self-narration to Riku's second-person narration. Just want to clear that up. Enjoy, and please, no flames.

**Riku's POV**

"Ugh." Riku began to come to and slowly opened his eyes. At first, he only saw blurred blackness, but in time, his vision realigned and adjusted to the dim lighting.

He seemed to be in a dungeon of sorts, the air frigid and water dripped from the ceiling onto his head.

"Where am I?" Riku asked aloud. When he put a hand to his head he noticed for the first time the shackles around his wrists. His eyes followed the link and he saw that it was bolted into the stone wall behind him. "This isn't good." He yanked at the restraints but was only punished as the cold metal dug into his wrists. He abandoned the notion and reached out his right arm as far as he could and seemed to concentrate.

When nothing happened after several heartbeats, Riku looked at his hand with a concerned face. "Why won't it appear?"

"Because it _can't_, " a voice replied in a mocking tone.

The Keyblade Master shot his head up to see a bulky individual in the doorway that led out of his prison. "Pete."

The newcomer made a menacing grin. "As long as those chains are around ya, you won't be doing _any_ funny stuff. Got it?"

Riku bunched his hands into fists. "What are you and Maleficent up to?" He growled.

"Not telling," Pete snickered, then pulled an eyelid down and stuck out his tongue.

This drove the prisoner off the edge of sanity and he began to charge Pete, but the chains yanked him back and he fell down on the cold stone with a hard thud.

Pete laughed, then turned to leave. "Enjoy your stay," he called before exiting and slamming the metal door behind him.

XXXXX

**Hikari's POV**

Let me clear something up for you before I go on. You see, in my world, there is a story that was known by every child. It was about a tale of how when Darkness once had control on everyone's heart, a being of pure light appeared and shared his light with the children of the world. With this light, the children joined together and released the light over the world, freeing those who had been hostages of the black abyss. That being who had brought sanctuary was said to have taken on the form of a mouse; not the rodent kind, but one you would see in a cartoon, and that was _exactly_ what was standing in an open circle consisting of Leon and the others.

It was probably no more than three feet tall; with big black, round ears and wearing an outfit of sorts in the colors of mainly black and red and a slight bit of yellow with matching large yellow shoes. But what really caught my attention was what it had in its hand; a Keyblade with a golden blade and a silver hilt.

"What's going on!?" I blurted out.

Everyone stopped talking and looked at me with surprise, the mouse in particular interested in my presence.

Yuffie walked over to me and held her hand out towards the newcomer. "Hikari; this is King Mickey." She turned to the mouse and added, "King Mickey; this is Hikari Kurai."

I must have been a mess, for King Mickey was studying me with somewhat hostile eyes. My clothes were covered in dirt, my face was slightly red with exhaustion, and strands of hair had fallen loose from my french braid.

When the silence became unbearable, I did the only thing I thought that was appropriate at the moment; I reached out my hand and summoned my Keyblade.

King Mickey's eyes grew wide with surprise, followed by a smile and laugh. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Hikari," he greeted with a squeaky voice. He sent his Keyblade away and held out his now free hand towards me.

I willed my Keyblade away as well and took his hand. "It's nice to meet you too." I had to admit, King Mickey was quite friendly and outgoing. Then again, he brought hope into my world long ago, or so the story says, and I felt a very strong light within his heart, no noticeable darkness that would indicate a struggle.

But then, I felt his hand tense and he quickly pulled away. I was surprised at first but then looked at my hand and saw a black aura circling it. Acting quickly, I clenched it into a fist and forced the light to balance out the darkness, causing the forbodding aura to vanish. I looked at Mickey and - seeing his shocked and somewhat scared expression- bit my lower lip in guilt.

"Sorry," I said. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Mickey examined his hand, then shook his head and looked at me with eyes that seemed to ask "What the hell just happened?"

I sighed and studied my hand as well. "I've got some explaining to do."

XXXXX

As we ate dinner, Mickey told me of his role as the king of Disney Castle as well as a protector of light as a Keyblade wielder. It was when he got to explaining his reason of coming to Radiant Garden when things got interesting.

"Master Yen Sid sensed a sudden leap in Darkness and sent me to check on Sora, Riku, and Kairi; But when I got to their world, they were gone. Heartless were everywhere and the islands were falling apart."

I looked down. "Then he was right after all."

"Who was right?" Mickey asked.

I raised my eyes to see that the king had his head tilted to the side and was looking at me with confused eyes. "A man named Ansem the Wise."

"_What_!?" Mickey slammed his hands on the table, causing those around it to jump slightly in surprise. "You know him!?"

I nodded. "He saved me just before the Darkness that destroyed my world swallowed me whole. He also told me of my gift and that I was the only one who could save Sora, Riku, and Kairi."

"So his spirit lived on," Mickey said to himself as he put a hand to his chin in thought. "By 'gift'," he continued after a few moments, "do you mean your Keyblade?"

"Yes and no." When Mickey's confused look returned once more, I explained to him my gift of holding both Light and Darkness within my heart. "I wasn't aware of it until after Ansem the Wise told me; and now that I know, I have to learn how to keep it balanced."

Mickey nodded slowly. "That reminds me of a friend of mine. He tried to balance it, but someone only fed to the Darkness in his heart."

A voice in my head whispered a name and before I thought twice, I echoed "Terra?"

All eyes turned to me.

"How do you know that name?" Mickey questioned.

I bowed my head. "I… I'm not sure. I heard a voice say it and it sorta slipped out."

"A voice?" Leon repeated.

"What did it sound like?" Cid inquired.

I put my hand to my chin and began to recollect. It was faint, as if deep within darkness, and was that of a female's. "The voice was weak, but definitely a female's voice. It sounded as though I was listening through a wall."

"Did you sense anything?" Mickey urged on. "Like a source of where the voice came from?"

I closed my eyes and focused on the voice. I then began to make out a faded landscape. "I see a realm of shadows; a shoreline with a murky sea." I could barely make out a figure sitting on a rock. "There's someone I can't quite make out. It looks like a woman." I concentrated real hard and suddenly I had a frontal view of her. "She… She's crying and-" My voice cut off when the woman looked straight at me.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note:

Well, I've decided to make the chapters a lot more longer, so you guys don't have to wait as long for some of the cliffhangers I left in the original. Enjoy, and please, no flames.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was _actually_ in that realm; well, at least in spirit.

The woman smiled at me. "You must be quite gifted to have been able to hear me," she said.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Aqua. I am a Keyblade Master -an advanced Keyblade Wielder- but still very much like yourself," she replied.

"Why are you _here_? The worlds are disappearing; you could be helping others. Isn't that the duty of a Keyblade Wielder?"

Master Aqua shook her head. "I can't. There's no way for me to leave here."

I looked her over and realized some of her clothes were torn. "H-how long have you been trapped here?"

"Not sure. You can never tell if time passes here."

"How did you get here, then?"

That made her reluctant, but she answered after a few moment's hesitation. "I took a dear friend's place so he wouldn't have to live in Darkness."

"Terra?"

She nodded. "But I fear I was too late." She looked into the distance and added, "My time to leave this place will come in good time, so don't worry about me. You need to focus on saving Sora, Riku, and Kairi."

Hearing her mention those three surprised me. "You know them?"

Master Aqua nodded. "I met them many years ago when they were only kids, and I gave Kairi a gift that would protect if anything were to happen."

"Like when her world disappeared and she ended up on Destiny Islands."

"Exactly… And now I will give you a gift as well." Master Aqua stepped off her rock and- standing in front of me- asked, "Could you summon your Keyblade?"

I wasn't quite sure where she was going with this, but I did as I was asked anyway and brought the key-shaped sword into existence.

Master Aqua reached out and with a light touch on my hand where I held the hilt, a soft golden light appeared and formed into a star-shaped keychain on it. When the light faded and she pulled her hand away, a five-pointed star half white and half black was left.

I lifted up the keychain and studied it. "What is this?"

"It's a charm based off a star-shaped fruit; it symbolizes connection with those you care about. Now, whenever you are in need of my help, I will be able to speak with you."

I looked up at her with grateful eyes. "Thank you, Master Aqua," I said, then bowed.

Master Aqua laughed a little. "You are very welcome. Now, return to your friends."

XXXXX

I opened my eyes to find myself lying on my side on the hardwood floor, everyone surrounding me with concerned looks on their faces. "Would ya mind giving me some space, please?" I retorted.

They all sighed in relief and backed away, while Yuffie pulled me to my feet. She led me back to the chair I had originally been sitting in and Aerith handed me a glass of warm tea. I blew on it a little, then took a sip, the smell of cherry-blossoms sweet and calming.

After a few more sips, I eventually put my tea down and turned my attention back to the others. They seemed calmer now that I was conscious, but a sense of unease still remained hanging in the air.

I sighed. "First I could read people's hearts, now I can travel to other worlds spiritually. Ansem the Wise might as well have written up an instruction manual." I took another sip of my tea.

"You did seem pretty empty when you collapsed," Merlin remarked.

Leon nodded in agreement. "So what exactly happened?"

I looked down, going over in my head how I was going to explain it to them. Did they know Master Aqua? Being a Keyblade Wielder, King Mickey more than likely knew, but the others were in question. _Only one way to find out,_ I told myself. I took a deep breath and brought my eyes back to everyone.

"I met Master Aqua."

Unsurprisingly, everyone except Mickey did not respond. The King's eyes grew wide and he gasped, but stayed silent as I continued.

"She knows about the growing darkness in the worlds and said she'd come back in good time," I explained, looking down. "She gave me a gift so that she could guide me on my mission."

"Tell me," King Mickey said, bringing my eyes back to him. "How did she seem when you saw her?"

I thought for a moment, recalling the gleam in her eyes when she first saw me. "She seemed… hopeful, like I was the first light she had seen in a long time."

There was silence once more until Cid yawned and stretched his arms in the air.

"Well, that's enough excitement for me for one day. Why don't we all get some sleep?"

We all nodded in agreement, while Mickey headed off, saying he would return the next day after reporting back to Master Yen Sid.

As I laid in my bed later that night, I thought over what King Mickey and Master Aqua had told me. Things seemed much worse than Ansem the Wise implied, but perhaps he kept the information he gave me at a minimum so I would be more willing to accept the task. I wanted to evaluate the knowledge I had obtained further, but my body was sore and my eyes grew heavy that soon I was in a deep, peaceful sleep.

_"Hikari,"_ a voice said in my head, bringing me out of the world of dreams.

I opened eyes slowly and yawned, stretching my arms.

_ "Hikari,"_ the voice said again, and I realized it was Master Aqua's.

"Master Aqua?" I asked groggily, rubbing my eyes and sitting up. I shuddered when I felt an icy coldness against my chest and looked down to see blackness had taken over a large portion of the white wing half.

_"We got company,"_ Master Aqua stated, answering my un-asked question.

It was then that I began to hear footsteps coming from outside. They were faint but definitely there, giving me the impression that whoever they belonged to were quick and light on their feet. I looked to the window just in time to see a flash of black pass by it.

I jumped out of my bed and got ready, putting on my street clothes and brushing out my hair. Once that was done, I hurried out of my room and into the main part of the building where the computer room was. I must have been making a lot of noise, for when I rounded the corner, Cid, Leon, and another man were looking at me with curious looks. The newcomer looked around the same age as Leon, and he was _tall_, I mean, like 'pro basketball player' tall. He had spiky red hair, piercing green eyes, and wore a full body black coat with matching gloves and boots.

The red-head gave a little laugh and looked at Cid. "Still not ready to give up babysitting?"

Cid held out his hands and shrugged. "If anyone's the babysitter in this case, it's Leon."

Leon mumbled under something under his breath, gaining another chuckle from his friend, who then walked up to me. "This ought to be interesting. The name's Lea." He pointed to his head and added, "Got it memorized?"

The action confused me, but I nodded nonetheless and held out my hand. "I'm Hikari."

Lea shook it. "So what's _your_ story?"

"Not now, Lea," Leon huffed. "We need to go."

"I know, I know," Lea muttered.

I sensed the urgency in Leon's voice and grew concerned. "Maybe another time. What's happened?" I asked.

Lea looked down. "A giant Heartless has taken over the castle and some friends of mine are trapped inside."

"So that was the darkness I sensed," I said under my breath. I looked at Lea and added, "I'm coming with you," before summoning my Keyblade.

Lea jumped back when he saw the key-shaped weapon in my hand, but then relaxed. "Seems _everyone_ gets a Keyblade these days," he stated.

At the sound of that, a bell rang off in my head. "Wait; You have a Keyblade too?"

As if to answer, Lea smiled and, holding out his right arm, summoned a Keyblade as well. The hilt was a chakram of sharp red and black and the arch was that of a spiraling tower of flames, the tip of it multiple colors of red, orange, and yellow twisting in a circular formation. "Only just recently learned how to wield it, but man does it pack a punch," he commented.

I couldn't help but smile a little. "Same here."

"Lea!" Leon barked.

"Alright, alright; we're going," Lea muttered and headed for the door.

I started to follow him, but Leon stepped forward to block my path.

"You're staying here. I'm not endangering your safety," he stated with a firm tone.

"No way. Don't treat me like a child; I'm more than capable of taking care of myself," I retorted.

Leon shook his head. "No. You're staying here and that's final; besides, you'd only get in the way."

"Now hold on, Leon," Cid said from behind me. "Don't ya think that's a bit harsh? I was there yesterday when you trained her and quite frankly, I think she'd be a great deal of help."

"Yeah, Leon. Give the kid a chance," Lea chimed in, leaning against the frame of the door with a smirk on his face.

The teasing I could have lived without, but at least I knew Lea had my back. I looked Leon straight in the eyes, determination burning inside me. "I can do it; just let me try."

Leon looked at me, down at my recently-healed leg, back at me, and seemed to study my eyes for several heartbeats. Eventually, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright. Go with Lea to the castle. I'll take care of the Heartless outside of town."

My heart leaped as I smiled and nodded my head. "Thanks, Leon."

Leon reopened his eyes and smiled a little, then turned to Lea. "Keep an eye on her. If she gets hurt, you'll get it from me _and_ King Mickey."

Lea threw up his arms in defense. "Fine, I got it." He looked at me with another smirk and added "Sure you can keep up, squirt?"

I gave him my own smirk before rushing past him out the door, summoning my wings, and taking to the sky. The morning air was cool, dark gray clouds had control of the sky, and I felt the distant presence of darkness. But none of that mattered in that single moment; I felt free as a bird and I'd been wanting to feel the excitement of flight once more after these past few days of being grounded. Eventually, I stopped climbing and looked down to where I had left Lea; even from a height of what I estimated 30 feet, I could see the awestruck and envious look on the red-head's face, and I had to fight the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

I cupped my hands around my mouth and called out "Sure _you_ can keep up with _me_?"

I could see Lea's mouth move in a mumbling manner, but couldn't hear him. Cid, on the other hand, was laughing in the doorway, the sounds echoing across the town. Leon was hurrying out the door towards the outskirts of town with sword in hand, so I decided it was time to rejoin Lea on the ground. I descended until I was a few feet in front of him and floating but just half a foot off the ground.

"Couldn't help myself," I apologized, rubbing the back of my head.

Lea gave me a combination of an irritated and surprised look, then wiped it away. "Let's take out a few Heartless first so I'll know just _how_ strong you are."

I nodded in agreement, then dropped completely to the ground and willed my wings away, returning me to my normal garbs.

Lea shook his head in bewilderment before leading the way towards the castle.

Most of the Heartless we ran into were the black ones I had first encountered, which Lea explained were called Purebloods. A few, however, held some actual form; these were referred to as Emblem Heartless. These Heartless were much more powerful and were known for being quick and using magic.

Lea saw that I struggling with the Emblems, so we hid for a moment and he taught me how to use a Fire spell. I practiced a little until I got the hang of, which didn't take long as I pick up things fast.

The closer we got to the castle, the thicker the Heartless groups became, but with Lea charging in without fault and me with my newly acquired power, we quickly arrived at the castle. We snuck into the garden and into a secret passage that twisted, turned, dropped, and fell, but eventually brought us to a study of sorts. It obviously hadn't been well cared for in a while, for papers were scattered everywhere and dust clung on every inch of the room.

"What is this place?" I asked as Lea climbed up out of the tunnel.

He held out a hand and I took it as he pulled up. "Ansem the Wise's old study." He scratched the back of his head and added, "We were trying to clean it up a little, but as you can see, we never found the time."

Just then, a moan was heard from just beyond the large wooden doors. My eyes met Lea's, who nodded and slowly crept towards the door, Keyblade in hand. I stayed by the large desk, ready to cover his back.

But when Lea opened one of the doors ever-so-slightly, I wasn't expecting someone to fall inside. Lea barely had time to will his Keyblade away and lean down to catch the figure before they hit their head on the hard tile.

"Ienzo!" Lea exclaimed.

I hurried over to him to get a better view on the situation. The boy that lay unconscious in Lea's arms looked around 20 or so, with layered black and silver hair, and was covered in cuts and bruises, his white lab coat torn up and dirty. I then sensed the immense amount of foreign darkness in his heart, close to completely consuming him.

"Lea, let me see him," I ordered, getting down to my knees and holding out my arms.

Lea looked at me questionably. "Why?"

"Don't you sense it? Darkness is invading his body and it's only a matter of time before he'll lose his heart." When Lea didn't reply, I continued. "I may be able to save him, but you need to hand him over."

Lea looked down at Ienzo for a moment before returning his eyes to me and handing his friend over.

My body seemed to move on its own as I laid Ienzo out and had his head rest on my lap, making me blush now at the memory of it. I placed my hands side by side on Ienzo's chest and closed my eyes as I took breaths and time seemed to slow. I concentrated hard on my light and forced it down my arms into the young man's body.

Ienzo's body twitched under my hands and he started to moan in pain, but I couldn't stop and continued to release my light and absorb the darkness within him. I was sharing his pain, and it felt as though my entire body had fallen into a frozen lake, the coldness and feeling of loneliness telling me how much pain Ienzo was in. I couldn't manage to open my eyes, but I could faintly hear Lea shift back and forth uncomfortably.

I wasn't aware of it at first, but when Ienzo's light had been nearly restored, my wings materialized and the darkness I had taken in seemed to wash into my black wing. Both of my wings beat uncontrollably against the evil energy as my pain reached its peak and then suddenly vanished. Just like that, I felt comfortable and calm with no shivers running down my spine and arms or urges to scream. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that Ienzo's face was now more peaceful and relaxed.

Lea smiled slightly at me, then took his friend and leaned him against the wall by the door.

I sighed in relief. "He's going to be just fine." Right then, I became dizzy and my vision started to blur. My eyes closed involuntarily as my body began to sway and then fall over to the left. Just before I thought I would hit the ground, strong arms caught me, but I couldn't manage to look at Lea and I slipped out of consciousness.

XXXXX

Different visions flashed before my eyes at neck-breaking speed, though each one was somehow imprinted into my mind. A boy around Master Aqua's age clenching his head as his dark brown hair slowly became silver-white, Master Aqua grabbing onto this boy and sending him up to the light as she sunk into Darkness, a man with an eyepatch and Ansem the Wise surrounding the fallen boy, a collapsed and fading young Ienzo as well as an older man, and a figure in a brown cloak speaking with the boy with silver-white hair on a beach. Then things fast-forward a little until I saw a different boy around my youngest brother's age with blue-gray hair giving off large amounts of darkness, a boy in red with a Keyblade similar to King Mickey's fighting him, the boy with blue-gray hair losing control of his body and then transforming into a dark-skinned man with long gray hair, but then being held off by the spirit of the boy who owned the body, the boy in red defeating the man, then closing large white doors with his friend on the other side. Fast forward again and an older version of the boy with blue-gray hair, now around my age, wearing a long black coat like Lea's and a black blindfold covering his eyes, standing atop a sky scraper, rain pouring down and lightning flashing across the sky, him fighting a figure in a similar black coat, then taking off his blindfold and becoming the gray haired man once more; an older version of the boy in red crying tears of joy as he clutches his friend's black coat, a flash of light that returns the boy back to his old self, a battle of the two friends against a man similar to the first boy, and the two boys and a girl around the same age with red hair all leaning against an oddly-formed tree with star-shaped fruit, overlooking the ocean.

The final thing I saw felt more like I was actually in the vision, like when I had first met Master Aqua. I was standing in what appeared to be a dungeon cell, the lighting very weak and the sound of water dripping from the ceiling could be heard. My eyes wandered to study my surroundings, but when they fell to the back wall, my heart sank to the deepest part of my body; There, sitting against the wall, covered in cuts and bruises and chained by both wrists and ankles was the blue-gray haired boy. His head was bowed and a defeated atmosphere hung around him.

_Riku_, a voice in my head said, though I was unsure if it was Master Aqua's voice.

My emotions soon took over and tears started to stream down from my eyes. "I promise I'll save you," I whispered.

Riku's head shot up and looked straight at me with eyes full of surprise. "Who are you?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Riku's POV**

Riku wasn't quite sure _what_ he was seeing. Just a few moments before he was sulking at himself for getting caught. He was a Keyblade Master and should have at least acted sooner when the Darkness suddenly appeared over the islands. Now, he had no way of summoning his Keyblade or contacting his friends. But when he had heard that voice and looked up, hope seemed to rise out of the ashes like a phoenix being reborn.

Standing but a few feet from him was a young girl that looked to be about his age, with long, dark-brown hair and aquamarine eyes, just like him. She wore a long blue gown that barely hovered off the ground, but what really took the cake were the wings on her back, one white as snow and the other black as night. Though she was transparent, the tears that streamed down her cheeks and fell to the ground were quite real.

Riku hadn't known why but he felt his heart flutter at the sight of the angelic being. "Who are you?" He asked.

The girl seemed quite surprised as if she didn't expect him to hear her; but she had and she drew in a gasp. She blinked a couple of times before she opened her mouth to speak, but a familiar caw interrupted her.

Riku supposed the girl looked up as well, but the next few heartbeats were almost too quick to see. Maleficent's raven dropped from its perch above Riku's head and dive-bombed towards the girl. She screamed and threw her arms across her face. but when the bird should have collided into her, the angel disappeared, leaving golden orbs of light for the black bird to peck at.

The only thing that convinced Riku that the girl had been there was the echo of her promise on the wind… and a white feather.

**Hikari's POV**

I drew in a gasp as my eyes flew open and I bolted upright.

"Whoa now. It's okay; you're safe," a deep voice said, followed by reassuring hands on my shoulders.

I turned my body around to find a large man with carrot-colored hair in a guard-like uniform. His large size was intimidating, but his soft eyes and warm smile managed to make me feel safe.

Slowly, my lungs stopped begging for air and my heartbeat returned to its normal pace. When I was able to think straight, I looked around and saw I was still in Ansem the Wise's study, and when I turned in the direction of the big desk, my eyes met Ienzo's.

"Good to see you awake, young angel," he remarked.

I was pretty sure my face went crimson with embarrassment right then. "A-angel?" I stammered.

Ienzo pointed behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see my wings still present. I acted quickly and willed them away, the small flash of gold indicating that they were gone.

_"Are you alright, Hikari?"_ Master Aqua's voice asked. _"You were out for quite a while."_

I sighed. _"I'm fine, just a little out of it,"_ I replied to her through thought. More privately, I asked myself, _Was that really Riku? And that first boy; Could that have been Terra?_

"What's wrong, Hikari?" The larger man broke into my thoughts. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I turned back to him and shook my head. "I'm alright, just tired." It then occurred to me that he had said my name. "Wait; How do you know my name?"

"Lea told us," he replied and looked in the direction of Ienzo. "I arrived just in time to catch you before you fell unconscious, then he took off. The silver-haired youth over there is Ienzo and my name is Aeleus."

I nodded. "It's nice to meet you, and thank you."

"So; are you human?" Ienzo suddenly asked out of the blue.

I felt my face heat up once more. "A-As far as I'm aware of." I looked at the door and tried to change the subject. "Where _did_ Lea go?"

"To fight the Heartless," Aeleus answered. Just then, a loud thud could be heard above our heads and we could faintly hear a few choice words courtesy of Lea's sharp tongue. "Sounds like things aren't going well, however."

And I knew things were only going to get worse, so I quickly got to my feet. "I need to go help him."

Aeleus got up as well and I fully realized just _how_ big he was. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Well, _someone_ has to go make sure Lea doesn't burn down the castle." Ienzo walked over to stand beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I say she's more capable than you or me; Wouldn't you agree?"

The larger man crossed his arms over his chest and thought for a moment, mulling over the options. It occurred to me that obviously in other worlds, it was hard to gain one's acceptance. Eventually, though, he looked back at me and nodded. "He'll probably need it, so take the staircase at the end of the hall. Be careful, though; that Heartless should not be something to underestimate."

"You don't know the half of it," I muttered under my breath. Aeleus tilted his head in confusion, but before he could question me, I turned and headed for the door.

"Wait." Ienzo's voice stopped me.

I turned around as the youth walked over to me. He reached into his pocket, seeming to grab something, then pulled out a clenched hand before opening it to reveal a black feather. "Is that mine?" I asked.

"I would assume. It was on the ground when I came to." He held it out for me to take.

But I shook my head. "Keep it. This may sound a little corny, but I have a feeling it'll keep you safe from any more Darkness that may intrude your heart."

Ienzo gave me a confused look, but simply shrugged his shoulders and returned the feather to his pocket.

I smiled and hurried out.

It didn't take a genius to see how much damage the Heartless -and Lea- had left in their tracks. I continuously had to jump, duck, and whack away the debris as I headed for the staircase. I felt kinda bad for Aeleus, knowing he most likely would end up having to clean this mess.

When I reached the end of the corridor, I found only the remains of what I had guessed was once a beautiful staircase. The beautiful tile and golden railing laid in ruin and scattered everywhere.

I sighed. "Why can't things _ever_ be easy?" I mumbled to myself, then summoned my wings. With one big jump and the hard flap of my wings, I landed on the second floor; But just barely, for my heels were off the ledge and I had to swing my arms so I wouldn't fall back.

When I regained my balance, I sent my wings away and headed towards the sound of thuds and curses. I was surprised that there were no Heartless to stand in my way, but then again, they could have all been crushed under the fallen debris of pillars and roof.

The hall turned left and when I rushed around the corner, I suddenly found myself outside in a high-up garden. However, I didn't have the time for sight-seeing because but a few seconds after I arrived I had to scramble away in order to dodge what I later realized was a large boulder that was on fire.

_When this is all over, I'm gonna_ kill _Lea_, I thought to myself. On that note, I looked around and quickly spotted a familiar red-head across the way fighting what I could easily confirm was the giant Heartless.

Aeleus had warned that it was one I shouldn't underestimate, but he never said a thing about how _big_ the thing was. It was larger than a five-story home, appearing to be sort of an upgrade of the Shadows, but with more a human shape, muscled body and arms and large hole in it's chest shaped like a heart. The only similarities were those beady yellow eyes and never-ending black abyss of a color.

Suddenly, the giant Heartless seized the moment and slammed its right arm into Lea, sending him flying across the way to my left and crashing into the wall with such force that the stone gave way, causing it to tremble and dent, just like a cartoon. Dust picked up and a few stone pieces fell, followed by a groan and thud of Lea dropping to the ground.

I didn't even wait for the dust to clear as I hurried into it to check on Lea. Thankfully, it quickly blew away in a slight breeze and I could see him in a matter of heartbeats. However, the scene caused my heart to drop like a stone; Lea's head was the worst of his wounds and bleeding badly, blood was trickling down from the corner of his mouth, and his black coat was in tatters.

Acting quickly, I racked my brain until I found the Cura spell Merlin taught me, summoned my Keyblade, and called out the spell.

A flowery green light appeared from the top of my Keyblade and descended onto Lea.

"Don't." His protest was less than a whisper. "Get away… while you still can."

"Do you know how _stupid_ you sound right now?" I retorted, continuing the spell. "There's no way I'm leaving you behind."

Lea chuckled a little, causing more blood to drip from his mouth. "King Mickey was right; you _are_ stubborn."

I smirked. "Oh he said that? Well then, I'll make sure to give him a piece of my mind after I'm done chewing _you_ out." I then placed his arm over my shoulder and lifted him up with great difficulty. "Come on, Lea. I may be tough but I'm still a girl."

I felt Lea shift his body and groan in pain as he tried to help me out. He did his best and was able to take half his body weight off me as we slowly progressed towards the castle.

But the Heartless had other ideas; the earth trembled and I lost my footing, sending both me and my burden to the ground. Before I could react, a large shadow loomed over me and suddenly a large black hand clasped around me and lifted me into the air. My arms were bound to my sides so tight I felt them hum as the blood flow in them started to slow. The pain was beyond comprehension, my ribcage being squeezed to the point it was becoming hard to breath.

I struggled to break free, but that only seemed to enrage the Heartless as it tightened its grip. The breath was then truly driven out of me and I barely managed to regain it. Pain shot through my body and I heard a sickening "shuck" sound. I turned my head and saw my shoulder had a sort of pocket where my shoulder should have been, indicating it was dislocated. Great.

I was starting to go numb and getting tunnel vision when Master Aqua's voice called out to me. _"Summon your wings and Keyblade, Hikari!"_

_"I… can't,"_ I replied to her silently, my body beginning to turn cold.

_"Don't give up hope, Hikari. Just believe in yourself!"_ She urged.

Not wishing to let her and everyone else down, I bunched my hands into fists, forcing the blood to flow through my body once more. As the numbness went away, the pain in my shoulder returned, but I continued on, feeling my strength returning. Slowly but surely, the gift of Light and Darkness began to rise within me and in a large burst of power, I felt my wings materialize and pierce the Heartless's hand.

The creature made a screeching sound that I took for its cry of pain as it released its grip on me. I free-fell a few feet before snapping out my wings to their full length, allowing the air current to glide me down to the ground. Once I had my feet on solid ground once more, I turned around to look at the Heartless, but I certainly wasn't prepared for what I saw next.

There, bound by both arms and legs in the center of the Heartless' cut out chest was the girl with red hair from my vision. From a distance, I could tell she was unconscious for her head was bowed and her body was slowly fading away.

I wasn't quite sure how, but something told me that it was Kairi, and she wasn't going to last much longer. _The Heartless must be getting its power from her. I have to get her out of there._ I quickly formatted a plan into my head and nodded my head in approval, then took a running start and I was soon in the air.

The Heartless was still howling in rage and thrashing its arms, but I was able to climb, descend, and swerve left and right to avoid being hit. Kairi was soon directly in my sights and, putting on an extra burst of speed, I shot straight for my target. I held my arms out as my body crashed through a weakened barrier -which shattered like glass- wrapped my arms around Kairi, and pulled both of us out from the other side. As I flew away, a sickening howl came from behind. I halted, shifted Kairi's body so I was holding her bridal style, and turned around just in time to see a beam of light shoot right at the Heartless. A final screech followed and the dark shadow disappeared.

For a moment I was dumbstruck, but then I saw a familiar black mouse standing atop one of the castle pillars with his Keyblade in hand. I smiled and sighed in relief, then slowly returned to the ground. Once I felt the earth below my feet once more, I sent my wings away, got to my knees, and carefully set Kairi on a patch of grass. As I began to use a Cura spell on her, I heard King Mickey came over.

"Is she going to be okay?" He asked.

I finished the spell, then got to my feet and looked at the King. "Yeah. She doesn't have any serious injuries." I looked around but couldn't a particular spiky-haired individual. "Where's Lea?"

"He's inside with the others. I showed up just as I saw you fly up and get Kairi. Gosh, though; I was surprised to see you with _wings_." He smiled.

I began to laugh a little when a jolt of pain hit my dislocated shoulder. I hissed in agony as I clutched it with my left hand and dropped to my knees once more. "Damn it," I muttered.

"What happened?" Leon's voice called from behind us.

Two sets of feet hurried towards me and the King, but the pain was too much for me to look over my shoulder.

"Hikari got hurt when she saved Kairi," King Mickey explained.

A hand was placed on my good shoulder and the coldness of it told me it was Cloud's.

"I thought I told you to stay out of trouble?" He told me in a soft voice.

"I'm bad at keeping promises," I replied with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. The words had just left my mouth when Cloud suddenly scooped me off the ground and held me bridal-style.

"_Stubborn_ is what you are," Cloud corrected.

I thought for sure my face went crimson once again. It had to have been bad for my health for my face to grow that red so many times in one day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: I'm sorry if I don't quite get the personalities of Ienzo and the other apprentices down. I haven't studied them long to get a perfect idea of how they would react in the following chapter.**

**Even: "I'd be more than willing to help out with your 'studies'." *smirks***

**Me: *shivers* "Moving on, I'd like to thank fanfictionfan1 (Guest) for their review. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Unfortunately, Riku won't be making another appearance until after the first world that Hikari officially starts her search for her family and the other two Keybladers, but when he returns, I promise you all that it will be epic! Until then, enjoy, review, and please, no flames."**

**Lea: "Aww, but flames are awesome!"**

**Hikari: *whacks Lea on the backside of his head* "Leave poor Embarr alone, Lea!"**

**Me: *facepalms self***

/

Around an hour later, we were all back at Merlin's place. My shoulder had been set back into place and my arm was in a sling, but I could the healing powers of my gift already starting to mend the torn muscles and taking away the pain. Lea was being well taken care of by his friends and I could only imagine how much it have have been hurting his ego. However, Kairi had yet to awaken, and was resting inside.

The rest of us were standing around the computer room, listening to Leon give an overview of the damage of the town and repairs that needed to be made. I was surprised when Cloud decided to stick around, but everyone else seemed unaffected by his presence.

The meeting quickly bored me, so I snuck out and went to check on Kairi. But when I turned the corner that led to the bedroom, I discovered that I wasn't alone.

Sitting in the chair next to Kairi's bedside was a girl around the same age as me with a similar face to Kairi's. She had shoulder-length blond hair and wore a simple knee-length white dress.

It took me a moment to realize that I could see through her slightly, but just as I had opened my mouth and was about to say something, the girl seemed to notice my presence and turned to me with a soft smile and sapphire-blue eyes.

"You must be Hikari," she said with a sweet voice. She placed a hand on her chest and added, "My name is Naminé; Kairi's Nobody."

"Nobody?" I repeated. "What's that?"

"In short, a Nobody is the shell left behind when someone strong loses their heart," Naminé explained.

It seemed a little far-fetched, but then again, so did darkness taking over a heart and becoming a being of shadows, so I only nodded in acceptance. "What exactly happened to her, before she was captured by that Heartless?"

Naminé looked down with a saddened face. "It happened all so fast. Sora, Riku, and Kairi were just spending the day on the islands when Darkness suddenly appeared in the sky. Before any of them could react, Maleficent's goon, Pete, showed up out of nowhere and nabbed Riku before pulling him back into a dark portal. Sora tried to save him, but a man in a black coat knocked him out cold and carried him off into a different portal. As for Kairi, the giant Heartless that you and King Mickey defeated captured her before she could even summon her Keyblade and defend herself." A cloud of guilt seemed to fill her eyes.

I walked further into the room. "You can't blame yourself, Naminé. What matters now is that Kairi's safe. If you promise to watch over her, _I_ promise I'll do everything in my power to rescue Sora and Riku."

Naminé brought her eyes back to me. "You mean it?"

I gave her a determined smile and nodded my head. "My mission is to find them as well as my family; You can count on me." As if to further prove my point, I pulled off my sling in one swift motion and it slowly fell to the ground, then summoned my Keyblade. "Do we have a deal?" I held out my left hand.

The clouds in Naminé's eyes dispersed and she smiled as well. "Yeah." She took my hand and shook it, then disappeared.

"So you could see her too?"

I turned around to find King Mickey in the doorway, a curious yet solemn look on his face. "How much did you hear?" I asked in slight embarrassment.

"Enough to know that you're very devoted to the task Ansem the Wise has set out for you," he replied.

"And perhaps a little _stubborn_?" I put in with a smirk.

It was time for _Mickey_ to redden with embarrassment. "Er, well…"

I laughed. "Don't worry; I'm naturally stubborn, so you're not the first to call me it."

Just then, a moan came from behind me. Mickey and I looked just in time to see Kairi sit up in the bed, one hand on her head.

"Kairi!" The King exclaimed.

The red-haired girl looked in our direction and instantly spotted her friend. "King Mickey!"

Mickey hurried over to the bedside, though I decided to hang back and let him do the explaining. I instead left the room and walked into the computer room. "Kairi's awake," I announced, but didn't stick around.

As I opened the door, Aerith's voice called from behind me, "Where are you going?"

I looked over my shoulder with a devilish smile and answered, "To pound Lea's head into the ground for nearly getting me killed today," then walked out the door.

XXXXX

I walked into the castle to find Aeleus and another large man with slick, black hair tied back cleaning up the debris left by the Heartless. I called out to Aeleus, who immediately seemed to recognize my voice and stopped his work to look at me. He smiled upon seeing me and walked towards me. The other man, who I realized was wearing the same uniform as Aeleus, gave me a dark look before returning to pushing away a large piece of the fallen staircase..

_What's _his_ problem_? I thought to myself.

"Good to see you alright, Aeleus stated, bringing me out of my thoughts.

I looked up at him and nodded. "Same goes for you," I replied, then looked at the other man once again and asked, "What's biting _him_?"

Aeleus followed my line of sight and laughed after a moment's thought. "Oh, don't mind Dilan; he just isn't too pleased to wake up and find the castle halfway from ruin."

"He _slept_ through all that!?" I exclaimed.

"Well let's just say as of late, he hasn't been at his best," Aeleus explained simply.

I looked at the one called Dilan for a moment longer before shrugging my shoulders and returning my eyes to Aeleus. "Fair enough. Do you know where I can find Lea?"

Aeleus indicated with the turn of his head down the hallway. "He should be in Ansem the Wise's study with Ienzo," he answered.

I thanked him and headed for the study.

I hadn't even opened the door when a curse sounded from the other side and echoed across the hall.

"Ow, dammit! That _hurts_!" Lea's voice barked.

"Well it doesn't help when you won't _hold still_!" Ienzo's impatient tone replied.

"Oh boy." I sighed, then walked in. "They should really consider the theory that _men_ are the tough ones," I called out.

Lea -who was sitting in a wooden chair- and Ienzo -who was attempting to to tend to Lea's wounds with supplies from a first-aid kit on the large desk- both looked at me with surprise. I walked over to them and took out a few gauze pads and antiseptic from the kit, giving Ienzo the hint to back off.

I poured some of the liquid antiseptic onto one of the bandages and began to tap it on Lea's blood-caked head-wound. When Lea cursed again, I pressed it slightly harder. "Oh grow a spine, Lea," I retorted, still applying the medicine to the injury. "You should count yourself lucky; no broken bones or a concussion to go with it. I had a dislocated _shoulder_ for crying out loud!"

Lea seemed to think that was funny and snorted. "Stubborn _and_ a whiner? It's a wonder as to how you got a Keyblade."

I stopped my treatment to look him right in the face, catching him off guard. "You want me to stitch that mouth of yours as well?" I asked with a smirk. "Because if not, I suggest you keep quiet."

For a moment, there was utter fear in Lea's eyes and he finally shut up.

I smiled triumphantly and resumed tending to the work at hand. People always say I get two things from my mom, and they're not my looks, which I get from my father. No, the two things I inherited from her was her stubbornness and healing hands, though I wouldn't exactly call them that. I've always just had a knack for healing, more so when my mom taught in the basics of first-aid. I never imagined that I would be using my skills like a war-zone nurse, but if things like this were gonna continue, then I should be grateful for my natural talents and put them to good use.

Silently thanking my mom for the many lessons, I reached for the needle and thread from the first-aid kit.

XXXXX

An hour and ten stitches later, Lea was all patched up and I was just finishing sewing his black coat back together. The thought had occurred to me early on that Naminé had said a man in a black coat had taken Sora away, but when I inquired upon the coat with Lea, he had explained that he had worn it as a Nobody, and he'd yet to find new garments. That's how the story of Organization XIII came up; Ienzo and Lea told me about their lives as Nobodies and how they were part of this group who's goal was to gain control of a place called Kingdom Hearts and get back their hearts. Axel -Lea's Nobody- quickly turned against the Organization after his friend Roxas -Sora's Nobody- left and returned to Sora. It took a while but eventually Axel broke free, only to sacrifice himself in order to save Sora. After all the Organization members were defeated, including their leader, Xemnas, they all returned to their original selves.

"And… finished," I stated as I tied off the last stitch.

Lea looked at it and smiled. "It looks good as new. Thanks."

"I'm impressed that you willingly handed it over and stayed quiet," I commented.

"As am I."

I looked over my shoulder and saw an older man with greying blonde hair and a lab coat like Ienzo's come out from a doorway I hadn't noticed before. He had a sharp face and tall body that went well with the gentleman-like persona he held.

"Good to see you awake, Even," Ienzo stated. "How do you feel?"

"Like-" and I lost him as he went on to referring to science terms that made my head hurt. But when he finished, he looked at me with an intrigued gesture, making me feel like I was under the microscope. "I'd never thought I'd see the day someone stood up to that hot-head," he said.

"I'm still here, old man," Lea retorted.

I threw his coat at him and it plowed into his face. "Go change and let off some steam," I told him. Once he was gone, I turned back to the other man. "I'll keep him in check, don't worry. I'm Hikari, by the way."

"Even, my dear," he replied, taking my hand and shaking it.

"You don't seem to get along well with Lea, huh?" I said.

"He's young, so I can't quite blame him for not seeing things the way I do," Even replied.

_I don't think_ anyone _can see things the way you do, unfortunately,_ I thought to myself. "Easy to understand."

Even made a smile that made me somewhat nervous. "You're not from this world, are you?"

"No, sir, I'm not. I'm on a mission right now to save my family and friends. I _originally_ came here to drill Lea's head in for nearly getting me killed, but I think the bruise to his ego I gave him is enough." I bowed my head and excused myself.

Outside the study, Lea was leaning against a wall, his head bowed and his arms across his chest.

"Come on," I simply said, heading for the exit.

Lea said nothing, but I knew he was following me because I could hear his feet behind me.


End file.
